Warner Bros. Domestic TV announced Wednesday that it has re-upped the second syndication cycle of "Two and a Half Men," with Tribune and Sinclair signing on for more of the top-rated CBS sitcom.
The deal will keep the Chuck Lorre-produced comedy on Tribune and Sinclair stations for seven additional years, through the 2021-22 season.
Here's the Warner release:
TRIBUNE AND SINCLAIR STATIONS RE-UP FOR SECOND CYCLE OF
#1 HIT SYNDICATED COMEDY “TWO AND A HALF MEN”
#1 Syndie Sitcom Among Adults 25–54 for the Last 163 Weeks Renewed by
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for Seven Years,
Through September 2021
BURBANK, Calif. (November 17, 2010) — Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) has sold the second off-network syndicated cycle of television’s #1 comedy — the long-running A-tier sitcom hit “Two and a Half Men,” from “The Big Bang Theory” executive producer Chuck Lorre — to the Tribune Broadcasting stations and to stations from the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The announcement was made today by Ken Werner, President, WBDTD; Rick Meril, Executive Vice President & General Sales Manager, WBDTD; and Sean Compton, President/Programming, Tribune Broadcasting.
Ken Werner said, “‘Two and a Half Men’ is an enormous hit in syndication. It is a dominant show that invigorated the off-network sitcom marketplace and the stations that licensed it. Tribune and Sinclair realized that with fewer hit sitcoms coming down the ’pike, securing a franchise performer like ‘Two and a Half Men’ is vital to maintaining their market position in the years to come.”
Sean Compton said, “When ‘Two and a Half Men’ went on the air over three years ago, it was an immediate game-changer that significantly elevated the performance of our stations, and we have never looked back. This is one of those rare shows — like ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ — that will continue to deliver for decades.”
Continuing a highly successful partnership that began with the off-network launch of “Two and a Half Men” in fall 2007 and has seen the series rank as the #1 comedy in syndication in both Adults 25–54 and Households for more than three years, WBDTD has renewed the show for seven years, keeping the top-rated sitcom on the Tribune- and Sinclair-owned stations through the 2020–21 television season, representing 47% of the country.
Tribune has re-licensed “Two and a Half Men” for the second cycle on all 19 of its stations that carried the first cycle of the show, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, among others
Similarly, Sinclair has re-upped with WBDTD for the second cycle of “Two and a Half Men” in all of its 21 incumbent markets, including Pittsburgh, Nashville, Tenn. and Columbus, Ohio, among others
Currently in its fourth year in off-network syndication on stations, “Two and a Half Men” has ranked as the #1 off-net comedy among Adults 25–54 for the past 163 weeks straight and has ranked at the #1 comedy among Households for the last 159 weeks in a row, according to Live+Same Day AA ratings information provided by Nielsen through November 7, 2010
Season to date in the 2010–11 season, “Two and a Half Men” averages a 3.3 national rating among Adults 25–54 and a 5.3 national rating among Households, outrating its nearest competitor by +83% (1.8) among Adults 25–54 and by +77% (3.0) among Households (Source: NSS, Galaxy Explorer, Live+Same Day AA Rating, 9/13/10–11/7/10 vs. 9/14/09–11/8/09) Proving its strength, “Two and a Half Men” continues to deliver for stations even while adding cable runs this year on FX. Season to date in 2010–11, the series maintains share across the board in Households and demos versus the equivalent time frame from 2009–10 while remaining virtually on par with rating (off just one-tenth of a rating point across the board).
Nominated for 39 Emmy® Awards in its first seven seasons, the show has won five Emmys®, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Jon Cryer in 2009. Additionally, “Two and a Half Men” has won four People’s Choice Awards, for Favorite New Television Comedy in 2004 and Favorite TV Comedy in 2007, 2008 and 2009 (and nominated in 2010 and, again, for the awards to be given in January 2011).
Created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn (“The Big Bang Theory”), “Two and a Half Men” stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer in an Emmy® Award–nominated comedy about men, women, sex, dating, divorce, mothers, single parenthood, sibling relations, surrogate families, money and, most importantly, love. More specifically, it’s about the lives of two brothers, one brother’s son, and the many women who surround them. Charlie Harper is a well-to-do bachelor with a house at the beach, a Mercedes in the garage and an easy way with women. His casual Malibu lifestyle is interrupted when his tightly wound brother, Alan, and Alan’s son, Jake, come to stay with him. Complicating matters further are Charlie and Alan’s narcissistic, emotionally toxic mother, Evelyn; Alan’s deeply neurotic ex-wife, Judith and Charlie’s domineering, unapologetically blue-collar housekeeper, Berta. Despite the complexities of their lives and their own strained relationship, Charlie and Alan have one thing in common — they both love Jake and want what’s best for him. As a result, they manage to create a little family unit that promises to make each of them a better man.
Sheen, Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Marin Hinkle, Conchata Ferrell and Holland Taylor star in the series, executive produced by Lorre, Aronsohn, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Don Foster, Eddie Gorodetsky and Susan Beavers for Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., The Tannenbaum Company in association with Warner Bros. Television.
